With a few minutes, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos unveiled the newest Kindle, named the Kindle DX — a larger screen version of the Kindle 2 that adds some features like PDF reading and an accelerometer to dynamically switch orentations. We linked to the specs earlier, so it's time for the meat: Our impressions of the device. On the panel today is freelance writer and columnist Gary Krakow, and Jason Hiner, Editor-in-chief of TechRepublic. We're all feeling a bit of apprehension toward the device, with Gary pointing out the $490 is going to be a tough pill to swollow for most people. Jason points out the device has a companion application for the iPhone platform, which leads to the logical conclusion: Why haven't they made software for desktops? I'm pretty much dead set against the Kindle DX, though I might opt for the Kindle 2. It's pretty ballsy to market a $490 device for reading books, when I could get a 10.1" netbook for around the same price that can surf the web on a color screen, and the like. Sure, my netbook might not have the long battery life, or as be as comfortable on the eyes as the epaper display, all 16 shades of its monochromatic wonderment, but for me, and most cash strapped college students, I think we're going to save our dollars for "real gadgets".
